HOUGHTON, Mich. – The Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team dropped its first road matchup 78-65 against the Michigan Tech Huskies on Thursday evening inside the SDC Gymnasium. 
 
The Mustangs move to 0-3 overall, while Michigan Tech jumps to 3-0 overall. 
 
Bri Stoltzman led the Mustangs tonight, collecting her first double-double of the year with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Kenzie Jones posted a career-high 14 points in the affair on 5 of 11 shooting, while snatching three steals and dishing out three assists. Peyton Blandin scored 12 points, while also grabbing three steals in the game.
 
SMSU shot 38.7 percent (24 of 62) from the field and 36.1 percent (13 of 36) from three while making 4 of 6 free throws. Michigan Tech closed the game shooting 53.1 percent (26 of 49) from the field, 47.1 percent (8 of 17) from three, and finished a perfect 18 of 18 from the free throw line. 
 
The Mustangs hung around early, taking a 6-2 lead with 8:02 left in the first quarter. 
 
The remainder of the first quarter would be an intense back-and-forth battle, with both squads trading baskets between steals and blocks. MTU would use a 3-pointer from Alyssa Wypych and two free throws to gain a 21-17 lead with 21 seconds remaining, but Brynn Busse would knock down her first collegiate bucket to end the period 21-20 in favor of the Huskies. 
 
SMSU opened the second quarter scoring with a deep three-ball from Jones, which was answered the following possession by the Huskies' Alex Rondorf. Blandin gave the Mustangs the lead off a 3-pointer with 5:48 remaining in the half. The Mustangs dominated the remainder of the half going on a 14-8 run backed by buckets from Blandin and Stoltzman.
 
MTU out-shot SMSU 50 percent to 46.9 percent in the first half while SMSU held a 17-12 rebounding advantage. 
 
The Mustangs rolled to open the second half, scoring nine of the first 11 points, leading in the game by eleven points at 53-42 with 6:08 left in the third quarter. The Huskies would steal momentum to close out the period, going on a 13-5 run backed by scores from Alyssa Wypych and Katelyn Meister.
 
Michigan Tech held SMSU to just three points in the final period. The Huskies outscored the Mustangs 31-8 in the final 15 minutes of the game.

UP NEXT

The Mustangs are back in action tomorrow in Marquette, Mich., taking on the Northern Michigan Wildcats at 1 p.m.